Flexible feed track



Oct. 3, 1961 M, A, CAMPBELL 3,002,600

FLEXIBLE FEED TRACK Filed Jan. 26, 1959 v www .IN VEN TOR.

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United States Patent i 3,002,600 FLEXIBLE FEED TRACK Milford A. Campbell, 17225 MacArthur, Detroit, Mich. Filed Jan. 26, 1959, Ser. No. 789,002 4 Claims. (Cl. 193-25) This invention relates generally to conveyors and more particularly to liexible track.

'The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide a flexible track for transporting articles by gravity along and irregular path; to provide a track which is adapted to a large number of uses because it can be formed of substantially any desired cross-sectional shape to accommodate articles to be transported which are of a certain shape; and to provide a track which provides continued access to the parts in the track.

-A further object of this invention is to provide a flexible track which is simple in construction; economical to manufacture, and which is easily bent and twisted to conform to a desired path of travel for parts being transported.

`Further objects, features and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

FIGURE 1V is afragmentary perspective view showing three tracks of this invention mounted on a frame for receiving parts to be transported from a machine or conveyor;

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view looking along the line 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View looking along the line 3 3y in F'IG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a sectionalview'looking along the line 4--4- inFIG.2.'

With reference to the drawing, three tracks of this invention, indicated generally at 10, a and 10b are illustratedin FIG. l mounted on a frame 12 for receiving parts 14 from a conveyor 16.A Since the tracks 10, 10a and 10b are substantially identical, only the track 10 is described in detail hereinafter, with like numerals indicating like parts on the tracks.

The track 10 consists of a plurality of segments 20, each of which is formed or Wire, preferably a high quality, high carbon drawn spring wire, and each of which is of a shape corresponding substantially to the cross-sectional shape of the track 10 required for transporting the parts 14. As used herein, the term wire describes an elongated strip of metal or similar material which is of a small size in cross section as compared to its length. It can be of any suitable cross section such as the conventional round shape, a iiatter ribbon shape and the like. In this case, since each part 14 is of a substantially rectangular shape in elevation, as shown in FIG. 2, each segment 20 is of the substantially rectangular shape illustrated. However, the segment 20 is an incomplete rectangle because its ends 22 are separated by a gap or space 24. Each segment 20 is of a substantially loop shape for defining a track having a long side 26, short sides 28, and a partial side 30.

A plurality of side by side segments 20 are formed by coiling a wire strip around a mandrel of a shape corresponding to the desired segment shape and heating the strip so that each coil retains the shape illustrated in FIG. 2. The track 10 is formed by packing the coils tightly against each other in a side-by-side relation, as illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4, and a longitudinally extending slot 36 is then formed in the coil to thereby form the segments 20 having the aligned gaps 24. The segments 20 are maintained in this position by maintaining them on a Patented Oct. 3, 1961 lAC mandrel and a coating 34 is then applied to the segments 20 tomaintain them in the side-by-side relation. Since the wire from which the segments 20 are formed was in a helical or coil form, the ends 22 of each segment are not in the same plane. However, because the coils are packed tightly against each other, the ends 22 in each segment are only slightly offset, so that adjacent segments can be described as being in substantially parallel planes.

The coating 34 may be of any ilexible material or materialswhich will provide for an adhesion of the coating to the segments 20. One example of a suitable coating is neoprene which is applied so that it completely covers the outer surface of the side-by-side segments 20 but does not cover inner surface of the segments or the slot or opening 3'6 formed by the gaps 24 in the segments 20. It is desirable to confine the flexible coating 34 to the outer sides of the segments 20 as shown in FIG. 3

so that the uncoated inner sides of the segments provide y sole support for the articles in the way deiined by the track. The metallic inner sides of the segments 20 provide a hard, Wear-resistant sliding surface having uniform and predictable sliding characteristics for the articles in the track.

A track which is formed as described above can readily be cut to any desired length since it is necessary only to cut the coating 34 between a pair of adjacent segments 20. One of the advantages of theY track member 10is:

that it can'be bent or twisted, by virtue of the ilexible nature of the coating 34 and the fact that the track is v formed of individual segments 20, so that it will extend along an .irregular path required for transporting the `parts 14 to a desired location. As shown in FIG'. 1, the

14 discharged from the track. The top half of the track 10b is`removed adjacent its discharge end to facilitate observation of the articles 14.

:The tracks r10, 10a and 10b aremounted on the framev f 12 by means of a three part clamp unit 41 which is secured to the frame 12 and clamped to the upper ends of the tracks 10, 10a and 10b so as to locate the tracks in side-by-side positions for receiving articles 14 from the conveyor 16. One or more clamps 40 are secured to each of the tracks 10, 10a and 10b at a position intermediate the ends thereof for maintaining the track in a desired position. Each clamp 40 includes a sleeve 42 in which one end of a shaft 44 is rotatably supported.

The shaft 44 is connected to the frame 12 in any manner which is eiiective to hold the clamp 40 in a position necessary to hold the track 10 in a desired position. In many cases additional shafts 46 and brackets 47 are utilized. Each bracket 47 consists of two integral sleeves 48 and 50 which are arranged at right angles relative to each other for accommodating a pair of shafts 46 which are at right angles.

Although the invention has been described with respect to a preferred embodiment thereof, it is to be understood that it is not to be so limited since changes can be made therein which are Within the full intended scope of this invention as deiined by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. A ilexible feed track for delivering articles by gravity along an irregular path comprising a plurality of hollow formed, segmental frame members disposed side by side along the length of said track and joined together by a bonded ilexible coating, said frame members and said coating defining a way for articles to be delivered by said track, each of said frame members having springlike characteristics so as to alter the cross section dened thereby when a force iS applied thereto and return to its original cross-sectional shape when the force is removed so as to cooperate with vthe inherent' exibility or said` coating to` permit said track to.4 be formedk torsionally and arcuatelyv as required to conduct said articles along la, desired path of travel,- and said segmental frame members having aligned side openings collectively delning a slot extending along the lengthA of said track throughV which articles in the. way are visible and through which access canbe had tothe articles at various points along the,l lengthl of the track.

2. A flexible feed; track for delivering articles by gravity along an irregular path comprisingV a plurality of hollow formed, segmental metal frame members disposed side by side along the length of said track and joinedtogether by a bonded exible coating, said' frame members and said coating dening a way for articles to be delivered by said track, said coating being confined to the outer portions of said frames and the metal inner sides of they latter providing sole support for and presenting a hard, Wear-resistant sliding surface to articles in said way, said metal frame members having spring-like characteristics so as to alter the cross section defined thereby when a force is applied thereto and return to its original cross-sectional shape Iwhen the force is removed so as to cooperate with the inherent ilexibility of said coating to permit said track to. be formed torsionally and arcuately as required to conduct said articles along a desired path of travel, said segmental frame members having side openings and said coating holding said openings aligned in all torsionally and arcuately deflected positions of said track whereby said openings collectively dene a slot extending along the length of said track through which articles in the way are visible and through which access can be had to the articles at substantially any point along the length of said track.

3. A flexible feed track for delivering articles by gravity along an irregular path comprising a plurality of hollow formed', segmental frame members disposed side by side along the length of said track and joined together by a bonded llexible coating, said frame members and said coating dening a way for articles to be delivered byv said track, each of said frame members having springlike characteristics so as to alter the cross section delined thereby when a force is applied thereto and return to its original shape when the force is removed so as to cooperate with the inherent ilexibility of said coating to permit said track to, be formed torsionally and arcuately asrequired to conduct said articles along a desired path of travel.

4. A flexible feed track for delivering articles by gravity along an irregular path comprising a plurality of hollow formed, segmental metal wire frame members disposed side by side along the length of said track and joined together by a bonded flexible rubber coating, said frame members and said coating dening a way for articles to be` delivered by said track, said coating being conlned to, the outer portions of said frame members and thc metal inner sides of the latter providing sole support forl and presenting a hard, wear-resistant sliding surface to articles in said way, each yof said frame members having spring-like characteristics soy as to alter the cross section defined thereby when a force is applied thereto, and return to its original shape when the force is. removed so as to cooperate with the inherent exibility of said; coating to permit said track to be formed torsionally and arcuately as required to conduct said articles along a desired path of travel, said segmental frame membe'rshaving aligned side openings collectively delining a slot extending along the length 0f said track through which articles in the Way are visible and through which access can be had to the articles at various points along the length of the track, and said frame members collectively defining a spiral with each frame member forming one convolution of the spiral interrupted bythe side opening thereof.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,310,884 Trevaskis Feb. 9, 1943 2,351,370l Schaaff June 13, 1944 2,430,658 Andres NOV. ll, 1947 2,568,229 Gardes Sept. 18, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS 509,772 Great Britain July 20, 1939 

